Safety device for holding a vial or ampule

ABSTRACT

A safety device for holding a vial or ampule, while a syringe is used to extract liquid medication, that helps healthcare professionals avoid accidental needle sticks and remain sterile. The device is constructed of a resilient material that is easily sterilized and is U-shaped and cushioned on the interior surfaces of the arms so that two symmetrical arms can be squeezed together to grip and hold a vial or ampule.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to devices for holding a vial or ampule while a syringe is used to extract liquid medication and, more particularly, to devices for holding a vial or ampule that allow a healthcare professional to be safe and sterile, and avoid accidental needle stickings when loading a syringe.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Healthcare professionals are often required to dispense medication via a syringe. Typically, this requires the professional to insert the needle of a syringe through a seal on the top of a vial, to load the syringe with medication, and then to inject the medication into the patient. Unfortunately, however, this process presents two well-known safety hazards.

[0005] First, loading a syringe presents the risk of accidental needle stickings—i.e., where a healthcare professional accidentally sticks himself or herself, or sticks another individual who is assisting in loading the syringe. This risk is particularly acute when one person holds the vial while another person inserts the needle into it or when the syringe is being loaded in a dim or dark environment such as in an x-ray room. Significantly, between 600,000 and 800,000 healthcare workers suffer needle stick accidents each year, (Minn. Med. 1995: 1765-8), and are put at risk for contracting diseases such as tuberculosis, streptococcal sepsis, Dengue fever, herpes, HDV, HGV, babesiosis, brucellosis, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

[0006] In recognition of this serious concern, Congress enacted the Needlestick Safety & Prevention Act of Nov. 11, 2000, which tasked OSHA with setting forth safety requirements to protect at-risk workers and to encourage the use of needle safety devices. Consequently, the need exists for safety devices that help healthcare professionals avoid needle sticks when loading a syringe.

[0007] The second safety hazard occurs when a healthcare professional must load a syringe while working in a sterile environment. In such a circumstance, loading a syringe presents the risk of contaminating either the healthcare professional or the environment. For example, when a doctor is performing surgery in an operating room, touching an object that has not been sterilized—such as a vial—presents the risk of contamination through the operating field, and the spread of bacteria. Because it is important to avoid contact with unsterile objects under such circumstances, typically another individual must hold the vial while the doctor loads the syringe. However, the assistance of another person presents an added risk of contamination, especially when that person's hands come into close proximity to the syringe being loaded. Thus, the need exists for a device that allows a doctor or other healthcare professional to load a syringe in a sterile environment without the aid of a second individual or allows the second individual to keep his or her hands away from the syringe. Such a device would need to be easily sterilized and would need to allow a healthcare professional to manipulate a medication bottle with one hand while loading a syringe with the other hand.

[0008] Examples of vial holding and syringe loading devices in the prior art are provided by U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,030 to Waldbauer, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,318 to Raia et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,158 to Whitty, U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,716 to Trees, U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,047 to Hedges, U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,870 to Maxwell and U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,470 to Casey. Of these, the patents to Trees and Casey teach devices to which a vial is mounted while a syringe needle is inserted into the vial. More specifically, Trees teaches a wall mounted vial holder and Casey teaches a tabletop vial holder. The most obvious drawbacks of both are, first, the devices are not easily moved or sterilized; second, the devices do not help prevent contamination since the user of the device may still have to handle an unsterilized vial; and, third, the devices do not minimize the risk of needle sticks since the user may have to steady the device as the needle is inserted.

[0009] The patents to Waldbauer, Jr. et al., Raia et al., Whitty, Hedges, and Maxwell teach syringe loading guides which facilitate accurate placement of a syringe needle into a vial. The drawback of these devices are twofold. First, the guides do not help avoid contamination since the user is required to handle a vial and a guide, both of which may be unsterile. Second, the guides do not minimize the risk of needle stickings because, in the event that the syringe slips out of the guide, the needle is likely to stick the user who is holding the vial.

[0010] Additionally, the prior art discloses a number of jar openers that bear some structural resemblance to the present invention. Examples of these are provided by U.S. Pat. No. 913,336 to Westerbeck, U.S. Pat. No. 1,976,623 to Monroe et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,523,544 to Stamp, U.S. Pat. No. 2,729,125 to Krzanowski, U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,213 to Kolacinski, U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,954 to Whalen, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,761 to Ryder. Although the devices taught by these patents bear some structural resemblance to the present invention, they are not well suited as vial holding safety devices for a variety of reasons. First, most of these devices are equipped with jagged gripping teeth which are not suited for gripping vials containing medication. Second, they are not easily held with two hands. Third, they do not allow a user's hands to be positioned away from a vial as a needle is inserted. And finally, due to either pivot hinges or covered tubing, they are not readily sanitized for use in a sterile environment.

[0011] None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a safety device for holding medication bottles solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention is a safety device for holding a vial or ampule, while a syringe is used to extract liquid medication, that helps healthcare professionals avoid accidental needle sticks and remain sterile. The device is constructed of a resilient material that is easily sterilized and is U-shaped so that two symmetrical arms can be squeezed together to grip and hold a vial or ampule.

[0013] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a safety device that helps healthcare professionals avoid accidental needle stickings when loading a syringe.

[0014] It is another object of the invention to provide a device that helps healthcare professionals avoid contact with unsterilized objects when working in a sterile environment.

[0015] It is a further object of the invention to provide a safety device for holding a vial or ampule that can be easily sterilized for use in a sterile environment.

[0016] Still another object of the invention is to provide a safety device for holding a vial or ampule ergonomically designed for comfort and ease of use.

[0017] Yet another object of the invention is to provide a safety device for holding a vial or ampule which is inexpensive to manufacture, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

[0018] These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019]FIG. 1 is an environmental perspective view of a safety device for holding a vial or ampule according to the present invention as used by two persons.

[0020]FIG. 2 is an environmental perspective view of the safety device for holding a vial or ampule according to the present invention as used by one person.

[0021]FIG. 3 is another environmental perspective view of the safety device for holding a vial or ampule according to the present invention as used by one person.

[0022]FIG. 4 is an elevational front view of the safety device for holding a vial or ampule.

[0023]FIG. 5 is an elevational side view of the safety device for holding a vial or ampule.

[0024]FIG. 6 is an end view of the safety device for holding a vial or ampule.

[0025] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0026]FIG. 1 of the drawings presents an environmental view of the safety device of the present invention as used by two people. It will be appreciated from the view that the hands holding the device are neither touching nor near the vial as the needle of a syringe is inserted and that the device is flexible and able to bend slightly around the vial in order to provide a secure grip.

[0027]FIG. 2 of the drawings presents an environmental view of the safety device of the present invention as used by one person. It will be appreciated from the view that the hand holding the hinged end of the device is neither touching nor near the vial as the other hand inserts a syringe needle.

[0028]FIG. 3 of the drawings presents a second environmental view of the safety device of the present invention as used by one person. Together, FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate that the safety device can be held, by one hand, at either the hinged end or the open end as a needle is inserted into a vial.

[0029]FIG. 4 of the drawings presents an elevation view of the preferred embodiment 10 of the present invention, and depicts a device 10 constructed of three pieces—an elongated handle 11 and two cushion members 12. The handle 11 is formed generally in the shape of an inverted “U” so that a pair of symmetrical arms 13 run parallel to each other. The inner surfaces of each arm 13 are substantially flat and face each other, and an elongated cushion member 12 is attached to each inner surface so that the members face each other.

[0030] The arms 13 of the handle 11 are spread apart to allow a gap between the cushion members 12 in which a vial or ampule can be inserted and then clamped in place by squeezing the arms 13 toward each other. See FIGS. 1-3. The hinged end 14 is formed in the shape of a loop to allow better flexibility. The handle 11 is constructed of a flexible, plastic material that allows for repeated bending of the hinged end 14 and the arms 13. The cushion members 12 are constructed of a rubber material and are attached to the arms 13 by an adhesive. It is possible, of course, to construct the device as a monolithic one-piece assembly. The handle 11 and the cushion members 12 are both constructed of material that is easily and readily sterilized.

[0031]FIG. 5 of the drawings is a side view of the preferred embodiment 10. The hinged end 14 is tapered to allow for better flexibility of the handle when spreading the arms 13. The ends 16 of each arm 13 are rounded thereby allowing a user to comfortably hold the device. The outer surfaces of each arm, which face away from the cushion members 12, are substantially flat.

[0032]FIG. 6 of the drawings presents an end view of the preferred embodiment 10. The top and bottom edges 17 of each arm 13 are rounded to allow for a comfortable grip of the device. The cushion members 12 are smaller in width and height than the arms 13. The living hinged end 14 is smaller in height than the arms to allow for increased flexibility. The device 10 is symmetrical from front to back, as well as from side to side, thereby allowing a user the flexibility to insert a vial or ampule from either the front or the back.

[0033] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

I claim:
 1. A safety device for holding a vial or ampule comprising: a handle constructed substantially of a resilient material, and formed generally in a U-shape; a pair of symmetrical elongated arms that are substantially parallel to each other, and forming the legs of the U-shaped safety device; and a living hinged end adjoining said elongated arms, and having sufficient elastic memory to be repeatedly flexed; whereby the arms can be squeezed toward each other in a manner that allows the arms to grip and hold a vial or ampule.
 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is constructed of a material that is capable of being easily and repeatedly sterilized.
 3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the device is constructed of a plastics material.
 4. The device according to claim 2, wherein the device is constructed of polyethylene.
 5. The device according to claim 2, wherein the device is constructed of polypropylene.
 6. The device according to claim 2, wherein the device is constructed of a co-polymer.
 7. The device according to claim 2, wherein each arm has an inner and outer surface, wherein the inner surfaces of each arm face each other, and wherein the inner surfaces are substantially flat.
 8. The device according to claim 2, wherein each arm has an inner and outer surface, wherein the inner surfaces of each arm face each other, and wherein an elongated cushion member is provided on each of the said inner surfaces, there further being an adhesive to attach the cushion members to the inner surfaces of the respective arms.
 9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the cushion members are constructed of a material that is capable of being easily and repeatedly sterilized.
 10. The device according to claim 8, wherein the cushion members are constructed of rubber.
 11. The device according to claim 2, wherein the device is between 10 and 15 inches in length.
 12. The device according to claim 2, wherein the device is between 14 and 20 inches in length.
 13. The device according to claim 2, wherein the device is between 18 and 27 inches in length.
 14. A safety device for holding a vial or ampule comprising: a handle constructed substantially of an easily and repeatedly sterilizable resilient material, and formed generally in a U-shape; a pair of symmetrical elongated arms that are substantially parallel to each other, and forming the legs of the U-shaped safety device; and a living hinged end adjoining said elongated arms, and having sufficient elastic memory to be repeatedly flexed; each arm having an inner and outer surface, wherein the inner surfaces of each arm face each other, and wherein an elongated cushion member is provided on each of the said inner surfaces, there further being an adhesive to attach the cushion members to the inner surfaces of the respective arms whereby the arms can be squeezed toward each other in a manner that allows the arms to grip and hold a vial or ampule.
 15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the device is constructed of a plastics material.
 16. The device according to claim 14, wherein the device is constructed of polyethylene.
 17. The device according to claim 14, wherein the device is constructed of polypropylene.
 18. The device according to claim 14, wherein the device is constructed of a co-polymer. 